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The four questions are recited during the Passover Seder by the youngest member at the table. They can be sung in Hebrew or read in Hebrew or English. Many families will sing the questions together with the youngest member.

Another name for the four questions is “Mah Nish-tah-nah.”

In English, the questions asked are:

Why is this night different from all other nights?

1) Why do we only eat Matzah on Passover?

2)Why do we eat Maror or Bitter Herbs on this night?

3) Why is the Karpas or Green Vegetable dipped twice on this night?

4)Why do we lean on a pillow at the Passover Seder?

At the Passover Seder, why do Jews recline while drinking the four cups of wine or eating Matzah?

The whole celebration of Passover is to remember the freedom the Jewish people fought for. The Exodus from Egypt or the fleeing from slavery was an important part of Jewish history.

Anytime wine is drank or Matzah is eaten during the Seder, reclining symbolizes the luxury of freedom. In ancient times, the only people who could recline while eating or drinking were people who were free.

Before Passover begins, many families will go around placing 10 pieces of bread around the home to symbolize the cleaning of yeast products or Chametz.

Many Jews will go around the home with a brown bag, a candle, a feather, and a wooden spoon. This kit can be found at any Judaica shop.

The bread is placed on the spoon and put into the brown bag and any crumbs left over is picked up using the feather. Once all the bread is found and placed in the brown bag, the Chametz then is burned.

By the night before Pesach begins, all bread should be out of the home.

During the part of the Passover Seder when the 10 plagues are recited, there are a few customs done.

A sign of remembering each plague is when the plague is recited, taking your pinky finger and dipping it into the wine and dripping it onto your plate. By taking some wine out, represents never forgetting the Exodus from Egypt.

For children, the Passover Seder can be a long time to sit. During the time the plagues are recited, some families will have objects symbolizing each plague.

For example, the plague of darkness can be shown by wearing sunglasses. For frogs and locusts, small plastic toys can be thrown around the Passover table.

Judaica shops sell bags of plagues. Besides being fun for the children, the adults can have a good laugh.

During the Passover Seder, the middle matzah is broken. One half is left on the table and the other half is hidden.

The larger hidden half is called the Afikoman. The word Afikoman literally means “dessert.”

This tradition was done since many children would have a difficult time staying awake for the entire seder, it became a game of hide and go seek.

Usually the leader of the Passover Seder will sneak away and hide it sometime throughout the meal without anyone knowing. The Seder cannot end till the Afikoman is found and eaten.

The Afikoman is the last thing to be eaten at the Seder table.

On the Passover Seder table, there are three Matzot placed in the middle.

The Matzot are covered and separated into three sections. Many people will use a cloth Matzah cover which can be purchased at any Judaica shop.

Each Matzah symbolizes a tribe of the Jewish people.

Cohan

Levi

Israelites

All three tribes were saved by Moses and the Exodus from Egypt.

The Passover Meal or Shulchan Orech comes in the middle of Seder.

Each family may follow their own traditions but below are a few common food choices for a Passover meal.

1) Gefilte Fish – White colored, usualy eaten with horseradish and cooked carrots

2) Matzah Ball Soup – Chicken broth with Matzah Balls. Some people add chicken and vegetables.

3) Beef Brisket

4) Roasted Turkey

5) String Beans, Carrots

6) Kishka

7) Israeli Salad

Depending on the traditions being followed, some Jews will eat Kitniyot or legumes during the Passover holiday.

The Shankbone or Zeroa in Hebrew, is considered the Passover offering. The Pashcal lamb was sacrificed as the Passover offering.

The sacrifice was done the night the Jewish people were fleeing Egypt from Pharaoh.

The shankbone can be bought at a Kosher butcher and roasted at home over an open flame. All sides should be roasted and any meat should be removed from the bone.

The symbol of the Zeroa is not eaten but refrigerated after the meal to use on the second night of Passover for the second Seder.

Charoset (in Hebrew) is a mixture of apples, nuts, spices, and wine or grape juice. It symbolizes the mortar that the Jewish people used to build and keep the bricks together when they were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt.

There are many different traditional ways of making Charoset from using dates and raisins to bananas and figs. The taste is sweet.

During the Passover Seder, the Charoset is eaten with Matzah, Karpas, and the Bitter Herbs.

Bitter Herbs or Maror (in Hebrew) symbolizes the bitter times the Jews had to experience while slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt.

The common food used for Bitter Herbs on a seder plate is horseradish. Some people use the horseradish in the jar while others will use fresh, and slice pieces from the horseradish root.

The Bitter Herbs is eaten alone on a piece of Matzah and in a (Hillel) sandwich with Maror.